On Monday, October 3rd 2005, Richard E. Merritt Jr. age 38, was arrested for ten counts of Child Enticement which is a Class I Misdemeanor. An investigation revealed that kids who attend Prescott Elementary and also Irving Middle School had been contacted by Merritt while he was in his car near the schools. Richard Merritt Jr. was following the children for the past several weeks would try to contact the kids by waving money at them or asking if they wanted to make money. Of the ten reports that the police department has received none of those children got into the vehicle with Merritt.

Merritt was developed as a suspect after Chief Tom Casady, upon hearing of one of the incidents, recognized the description and m.o. as the same as a case from 2002 involving Richard Merritt Jr. Through the investigation officers learned that Merritt was driving a blue Mitsubishi and that the license plate on this vehicle was similar to a plate description given by one of the victims except for one letter which was off. Merritt was located driving his vehicle in the area of Prescott School on Monday. Merritt had a ten year old boy in the vehicle with him at the time of his arrest. The investigation is continuing as other children need to be interviewed to determine if any other offenses have been committed.